Stephen F. Austin State University

Students in Stephen F. Austin State University's Rusche College of Business, recently advanced to the second round of Fastenal's National Sales Invitational.

Students at Stephen F. Austin State University studying mathematics completed an array of prestigious internships during the summer of 2024, gaining them real-world experience.

Led by Dr. Rashid Mia, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, three students were selected to represent Stephen F. Austin State University at the Scholars Transforming Through Research advocacy program, presented by the Council on Undergraduate Research. This marks the first time SFA students have participated in the competitive application-based program.

Flying airplane-like drones closely over the blowhole of a dolphin and collecting their breath is a new, innovative way for researchers to monitor the health of whales, dolphins and porpoises. This summer at Dolphin Quest on the Big Island of Hawaii, two Stephen F. Austin State University biology students got to be part of this groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind research. Rachel Moore and Callie Lynn, senior biology majors from Salado and Rusk, respectively, were chosen by Dr. Jason Bruck, associate biology professor at SFA and founder of Bruck Lab, to assist in the project PHASM - Passive Health Assessment in Sea Mammals as well as help conduct a project to understand how noise impacts the transmission of specific dolphin whistles.

The Stephen F. Austin State University chapter of the Society for Advancement of Management brought home awards from the SAM International Business Conference in April in Orlando, Florida. In addition to SFA earning the Campus Chapter Performance award, two of its members won individual awards. Seth Rigby, senior management major from McKinney, was named National Outstanding Student, and Andrew Mares, senior management major from Murphy, received the Regional Outstanding Student award along with first place in the business pitch competition. To learn more SFA's Department of Management and Marketing, visit sfasu.edu/mgtmkt.

Stephen F. Austin State University's Jordan Coleman, a Master of Arts in public history student from Effingham, Illinois, has been named a Jess Hay Graduate Fellow by The University of Texas System for the 2024-25 academic year. The fellowship is a unique graduate opportunity established by the late Jess Hay, a former UT System regent who was an advocate and visionary leader for the UT System. Hay passed away in 2015. The fellowship was designed to tie graduate education to timely and high-quality research benefiting the state of Texas.

Four students were awarded Stephen F. Austin State University Division of Student Affairs' Best of SFA Award to recognize their areas of scholarship, participation and leadership in academic and co-curricular activities as well as service and loyalty to the university.

Stephen F. Austin State University's chapter of the Bilingual Education Student Organization was given the Texas Association for Bilingual Education's Unity Through Excellence Award during the 2024 BESO Spring Leadership Institute. The award recognizes efforts to foster a supportive community for BESO members while passionately advocating for bilingual education. SFA's chapter of BESO began in spring 2019.

Four students from Stephen F. Austin State University presented at the Southwest Data Science Conference hosted by Baylor University in March.

Many obstacles can stand in the way of being admitted into medical school, but for two Stephen F. Austin State University students, the path to their dreams just got a little clearer. Perla Tovar, junior biochemistry major from Lufkin, and Mckenna Dillard, junior biochemistry major from Stephenville, have been accepted into the Joint Admission Medical Program. This undergraduate pipeline program was created by the Texas Legislature in 2001 to close gaps between participation and success for Texans pursuing their dreams of becoming a doctor, according to the JAMP website, texasjamp.org.

Students at Stephen F. Austin State University studying computer science, chemistry, biochemistry, earth sciences and geologic resources won a number of awards after presenting research at the Texas Academy of Sciences in March. The annual TAS meeting is centered on providing students an outlet to present their research and network with industry professionals. Under the close supervision of faculty members, students spend months refining experiments, testing hypothesis and making sense of their data. Then, working in collaboration with a research advisor, students share updates on their research progress through either an oral or a poster presentation.

Junior Deaf education major Emma Halliburton represented Stephen F. Austin State University at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research April 8-10 in Long Beach, California. Halliburton was recognized as a finalist at this year's SFA Undergraduate Research Conference and received funding from the James I. Perkins College of Education to attend NCUR. She presented her research titled, "Empowering Youth through Social Justice: A Mixed Methods Case Study of the Deaf Community Travel Trunk Project."

Since 2009, representatives from each of SFA's six colleges have selected outstanding undergraduate student research from the previous calendar year. The best individual or group research project within each college and one from a non-SFA institution is awarded the top scholar title; SFA top scholars receive $500, while the non-SFA top scholar receives a scholarship to SFA. Additional outstanding student research projects are selected per college, and these finalists present during the conference's poster session.

Austin Farmer, a graduate research assistant for Stephen F. Austin State University's Orientation and Transition Programs, was named the 2024 Region IV Outstanding Student Leader at the NODA - Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education's Region IV joint regional conference March 23 in Columbia, Missouri. The Outstanding Student Leadership Award is designed to give special recognition to students for their creativity, energy, enthusiasm and outstanding abilities. This award recognized two undergraduate student leaders and one graduate student leader.

The Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts Dean's Circle at Stephen F. Austin State University recognized six students during the presentation of the annual Dean's Awards April 4, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

Hospitality students in Stephen F. Austin State University's James I. Perkins College of Education volunteered with the university's Project RAICES, a grant-funded initiative to increase the number of ESL-certified teachers in East Texas and to provide resources to parents of English learners, during its two community events this semester Oct. 7 and Nov. 18. Taught by Dr. Gina Fe Causin, associate professor of hospitality administration, the School of Human Sciences' course "Meetings, Events, Expositions and Technology" had 16 students who participated in the event. The course aims to introduce students to the roles and organizations that work in the meetings, events, expositions and technology industry.

Sophie Clakley of Carthage, a senior banking major in Stephen F. Austin State University's Rusche College of Business, was attending the Independent Bankers Association of Texas annual convention in September 2022 when she struck up a conversation with her future boss. C Welch, a certified fraud examiner and assistant deputy comptroller for midsize and community banks with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in Longview, was impressed with Clakley and offered her a financial internship at the OCC beginning in January 2023.

Alexandria Foy, senior communication studies major at Stephen F. Austin State University, recently presented research at the National Communication Association Conference in Washington, D.C.

Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, welcomed 348 new initiates from 12 universities during October 2023. Students initiated into the Society must be sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduate/professional students in the top 35% of their class, demonstrate leadership experience in at least one of the five pillars, and embrace the ODK ideals. Fewer than five percent of students on a campus are invited to join each year.

Six first-generation students at Stephen F. Austin State University received $5,000 scholarships from Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages to help with their financial needs so they can continue their studies at the university. The scholarships were awarded through an SFA Student Success Center program called Generation Jacks, an extended learning community for students who are the first in their families to achieve four-year college educations. GenJacks members take classes together, participate in service activities and host social events for the GenJacks community.

A team of three sports business students in Stephen F. Austin State University's Rusche College of Business earned a spot in the final four of the Sport Marketing Association's 2023 Case Study Competition in October at the SMA annual conference in Tampa Bay, Florida. Matthew Morgan, a sports business senior from Allen; Eli Standley, a sports business junior from Warren; and Steven Luenser, a general business and marketing senior from Coppell, secured SFA a spot in the top four by demonstrating solid working knowledge of the issues confronting the case study team and presenting in a persuasive, enthusiastic fashion, according to Dr. Derek Walton, assistant professor of sports marketing at SFA and faculty sponsor for the team.

Dr. Carmen Montana, assistant professor of biology at Stephen F. Austin State University, led an international research expedition funded by National Science Foundation to study freshwater biodiversity in rivers in the Guiana Shield, a tropical region in South America facing environmental challenges. The international collaborative research team included Drs. Brent Burt and James Van Kley, SFA biology faculty members; three SFA undergraduate students supported by the NSF's International Research Experiences for Students program: Lily Williams, junior biology major from Hudson; Sophie Scott, senior environmental science and journalism major from Houston; and Megan Beeksma, senior forestry major from Temple; as well as students and faculty from the University of Guyana and Texas A&M University.

Exploring a new culture, 14 students from Stephen F. Austin State University's Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture traveled to the Netherlands this summer to learn about the country's natural resources and horticulture production. Over the course of the two-week trip, students traveled through 4 cities while observing history, art, and scenery.

Stephen F. Austin State University's timbersports team, the Sylvans, won the collegiate contest during the 39th annual Arkansas State Lumberjack Competition held Oct. 8 in Sheridan, Arkansas. In addition to winning the competition, the team, comprising 26 SFA students, won every event in the collegiate division. "We are proud of the Sylvans' fine showing in Arkansas," said Dr. Hans Williams, dean of SFA's Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. "Not only has the team competed well, but they have also represented themselves and SFA exceptionally well."

Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, celebrates students who are serving as circle (chapter) presidents. Students who serve as circle presidents are leaders amongst leaders. Members of ODK must be sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduate/professional students in the top 35% of their class and embrace the Society's ideals. They also must demonstrate leadership experience in at least one of the five pillars of campus life celebrated by ODK: academics and research, athletics, service to campus and community, communications, and creative and performing arts. Fewer than five percent of students on a campus are invited to join each year.

Each year, every active ODK circle (chapter) is encouraged to recognize one collegiate member as its outstanding leader for the circle and the campus. Recipients of this award are honored for their contributions to the circle and their campus community. They are selected by their fellow members or the circle's leadership team.

Stephen F. Austin State University recognized the outstanding academic achievements of a select number of students by naming 832 to the President's Honor Roll for spring 2023. To qualify for the President's Honor Roll at SFA, the student must have earned a 4.0 semester GPA in 12 or more semester hours while a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student.

Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, welcomed 1,869 new initiates from 78 universities during April 2023. Students initiated into the Society must be sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduate/professional students in the top 35% of their class, demonstrate leadership experience in at least one of the five pillars, and embrace the ODK ideals. Fewer than five percent of students on a campus are invited to join each year.

On April 1, Stephen F. Austin State University welcomed 310 incoming students to their new home during the university's Axe'cepted Students Day. The event provides incoming undergraduate students admitted for the upcoming fall semester a full-day slate of comprehensive sessions to help orient them to SFA and life in East Texas.

The Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts Dean's Circle at Stephen F. Austin State University will recognize six students during the presentation of the annual Dean's Awards at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches. Megan Bynum, art major from Brownwood; Stoney Shelton, music major from Paris, Texas; Constantina Alexandrides, music major from Fort Worth; Kiya Green, theatre major from Waxahachie; Izabel "Bella" Perez, art major from Waco; and Shanee Cody, art major from Cooper, were selected by the faculty of their respective schools on the basis of their potential to further develop their artistic goals and serve as role models for other students, according to Dr. Gary Wurtz, dean of the Elliott College of Fine Arts.